The Preserve At Palm-Aire is a landmark senior living community in Pompano Beach situated on 13 acres of lush, beautiful grounds in South Florida. Offering both independent living and assisted living programs, the health care facility’s primary focus is on preserving residents’ quality of life in every way possible.

The independent senior lifestyle at The Preserve At Palm-Aire is all about maintenance-free living, and that philosophy influenced the choice of a new roofing system for the facility.

The re-roofing of The Preserve At Palm-Aire was complicated by Mansard-style roofs and 5-foot to 6-foot high parapet walls that greatly restricted access to the existing roofing system, which was installed on a lightweight structural concrete deck. The use of trash chutes was impossible, so a large crane and dumpster were used to remove the roofing debris.

“What concerned us most was using such a large crane around an immaculately landscaped property fully occupied by tenants especially sensitive to excess noise and vibration,” says Geo Madruga, commercial project coordinator for A-1 Property Services Inc., the Miami-based roofing contractor on the project. Another important concern was that the low-slope roof had numerous penetrations, including those for 30 large HVAC units and various pipes and stack vents.

Finding a Solution

A-1 Property Services Inc. competed with several other contractors on an open spec bid. With the help of JM Sales Representative Lewis Buckner, A-1 advised the property owner that a 60-mil fleece-backed PVC membrane with DuPont Elvaloy KEE would provide the longevity, energy efficiency and chemical resistance required for the project. “We really pushed the PVC fleece backed as the superior roofing system and a unique solution for this building,” says Madruga. “We also felt more comfortable with JM’s PVC membrane due to our long track record with the product.”

Adhered directly to the concrete deck with a water-based adhesive, the fleece-backed PVC exceeded Broward County’s 175-mph wind resistance requirement. The PVC membrane’s high reflectivity also earned an energy efficiency rebate from Florida Power & Light Company. The product was also easy to install, depite the numerous penetrations, notes Madruga. “While there were definitely many unique penetrations, our 10-man crew had no problems with the heat-weldable PVC membrane,” he says.

Madruga’s concerns — and his company’s name — both reflect A-1’s desire to create long-term relationships with clients that include expert maintenance services. “We met the expectations of the owner’s roof consultant, but with offices in Washington D.C., the client placed a tremendous amount of trust in the roofing manufacturer and contractor,” adds Madruga. “We are specialists, and we don’t just walk away from any roofs that we install.”

When it was time to replace the Parkland Memorial Hospital — a Dallas, Texas, landmark constructed in 1954 that served as a safety-net facility for Dallas County for over half a century, and which held notoriety as the location where President Kennedy was rushed after being shot in 1963 — everyone recognized they would be undertaking a high-profile project. This became even more apparent when the plans for a new Parkland hospital were unveiled: a 2.1-million-square-foot, 17-story, state-of-the-art, 862-bed, full-service acute-care facility located on a 64-acre health care campus in the Southwest Medical District. The $1.33 billion project resulted in one of the largest health care facilities ever constructed as a single project.

Because of the scale of the new Parkland hospital project and the fact it was being funded with public dollars, a conservative and careful approach to the planning was paramount. A planning and construction team was assembled to tackle the mammoth project, which included two architecture firms — HDR Inc. and Corgan Inc. — and four large contracting firms — Balfour Beatty, Austin Commercial, H.J. Russell & Company and Azteca — that formed a joint partnership called BARA for the job. A “collaborative project delivery” model was adopted to keep all the stakeholders on the same page, which included the designation of a central “co-location” office where members of various involved firms could meet, collaborate and concur on direction. Numerous consultants were brought in, and through a careful planning process over a period of two years, designs, material specifications and additional partners were analyzed and selected.

At a cost of $1.33 billion, Parkland Memorial Hospital is one of the largest health care facilities ever constructed as a single project. A two-ply SBS-modified bitumen roofing system was chosen for its durability and longevity. Photos: Aerial Photography Inc.

Early in the planning process, SOPREMA’s local sales partner, Conner-Legrand Inc., was brought into material specifications discussions with the architects and contractors planning the project. The planning team recognized the importance of finding the “best roof they could put in place” for this critical environment that was designed to last for decades. After numerous rounds of careful vetting, a final qualified roofing system was chosen that fit that criteria: a SOPREMA-manufactured, high-performance, two-ply, SBS-modified bitumen roofing system.

“Consistency and reliability in the marketplace don’t develop overnight, and in the case of a project like the new Parkland hospital, everyone accounts for that,” says Luke Legrand of Conner-Legrand Inc. “You’re dealing with the most discerning audience you can imagine, and while it takes time to make decisions, the final choice of materials speaks volumes. The decision-makers wanted one reputable manufacturer that could provide everything from the primer to the cap sheet and offered a strong warranty, and not every manufacturer has the horizontal and vertical breadth to provide that. In this case, however, the planning team found what they were looking for in SOPREMA.”

Raising the Roof

The new hospital featured flat rooftops at multiple levels that all needed to be made watertight for decades to come. The roofing system needed to be designed in a way that accounted for a helipad, consistent rooftop traffic, extensive rooftop equipment, lightwells and various utility platforms. A lot stood in the way of Anchor Roofing, the installer, but the meticulous planning for the project meant that all contingencies had been considered by the time application of the waterproofing system began.

After installing insulation, a vapor barrier and SOPRABOARD, the Anchor Roofing team started on the two-ply roofing application. They first put down a layer of SOPRALENE Flam 180 SBS-modified bitumen base-ply membrane to provide waterproofing protection for the building. The various other tradespeople who needed to work on the rooftop could then go about their business, and any necessary repairs were made to the waterproofing base layer before a SOPRASTAR Flam SBS-modified bitumen reflective cap ply layer was installed on top. The chosen cap layer was not only functionally strong and long-lasting, but also white and highly reflective, providing energy savings and ultimately contributing to the hospital’s achievement of LEED Gold status from the U.S. Green Building Council.

The two-ply SBS-modified bitumen roofing construction was also chosen because the waterproofing system can be easily refreshed 25–30 years down the road to extend the roof’s lifecycle without a full tear-off. The foundation of the system can stay intact while the top layer is rejuvenated, giving the option for an additional warranty and ensuring the building is protected against the elements for another 20–30 years. This not only helps the health system to save money in the long run and avoid contributing unnecessary waste to landfills, but also helps the hospital avoid disruption to operations in a sensitive environment where recovering patients must be protected from invasive construction processes.

A Dallas Landmark

Throughout the course of construction, 162 professional staff members and 1,400 on-site workers collaborated to construct the new Parkland hospital. It was officially dedicated in March 2015, and patients and staff had all moved in by August. The facility now averages more than 1 million patient visits per year, with roughly 30,000 people traveling through its doors each day. The roof has performed well, and all stakeholders in the project have felt confident that the right waterproofing system for the job was chosen. Given the careful planning, beautiful design and strong material choices that went into the project, it has already received a number of awards and is well positioned to remain a Dallas icon for decades to come.

The recent expansion of Pella Regional Health Center included adding a new third floor to the hospital. Photos The Duerson Corporation.

It’s not often a roofing contractor installs a new roof on a building before removing the old one, but that was just one of the wrinkles encountered by The Duerson Corporation during the recent expansion of Pella Regional Health Center in Pella, Iowa. The project involved adding a new third floor to the existing two-story hospital without disrupting the care of the patients below.

Protecting patients and meeting the needs of the hospital were the top priorities on the project, but another key focus was sustainability. Thanks to the initiative of The Duerson Corporation and Duro-Last, the roof system manufacturer on the project, almost all of the components on the existing roof were recycled, including the membrane, insulation, screws and plates.

The Game Plan

Based in Altoona, Iowa, The Duerson Corporation has been in business since 1986, specializing in commercial and industrial roofing, both new construction and retrofit. Kirk Duer, the company’s president, and Tanner Duer, head of business development, shared their insights on the Pella Regional Health Center Project with Roofing.

They note that the goal on every project is to meet the client’s needs. “The hospital is a good example of that,” Kirk notes. “We took care of some maintenance and leak issues in the beginning, and then as time went on and trust was established, we did some re-roofing projects for them. Then they did this addition. It all flowed very well together.”

In a nutshell, the expansion plan involved erecting the steel for the new third floor, adding the roof deck, and installing the new roof system. The existing roof was left in place during this phase of construction, as the hospital was still active. After the walls were completed, the old roof system could be removed and recycled, and finally the interior work could be completed.

The first step involved erecting the steel for the new third floor. Kirk credits the hospital administrators for detailed planning before the project even got underway. That was the reason the existing roof was home to multiple 2-foot-by-2-foot boxes, complete with curbs and flashing.

Kirk Duer (left) and Tanner Duer of The Duerson Corporation in Altoona, Iowa, made sustainability a key focus of their business after they started recycling PVC membrane as part of Duro-Last’s Roof Take Back Program. Photos The Duerson Corporation.

“Those boxes covered the steel from the I-beams that were coming out of the roof, ready to receive that third floor,” Kirk notes. “When those boxes were removed, they just took their new steel and went up. It’s one of the more unique things I’ve ever seen in my history in the industry.”

As the steel went up, flashing the newly exposed I-beams was the first phase of the roofing work. “In the very beginning, once the general contractor removed those boxes, we added membrane and insulation around the I-beams and made sure they were watertight while the steelworkers erected their steel,” Kirk notes. “It was critical to keep it watertight because they still had patients right beneath us.”

Installing the New Roof

The new roof system covered an area of 27,600 square feet, bordered on one side by a long, curved parapet. The roof was installed over a structurally sloped steel deck with internal drains. “The first thing we did was install a vapor barrier over the entire deck,” Tanner notes.

Hospital administrators wanted a warranty from one source, notes Kirk. “Duro-Last refers to it as edge to edge, deck to sky,” he says. “Every component is supplied by Duro-Last and warranted by them for a full-system warranty. This particular administrator is adamant that this is what he wanted, and that’s what we delivered for them.”

Weather was not an issue, but the crews had to be ready to move quickly in the event of emergencies. “Work took place in September and October, which is about the most beautiful time of the year for us,” says Tanner. “The only unusual thing was that we had to have walkie-talkies on us at all times so they could alert us whenever a helicopter was coming in. Plant ops would notify us when a helicopter was coming in, and basically anything we had in the air we had to move down to the ground. We obviously wanted to make sure Pella Regional was not going to have a problem with us when a patient was flying in.”

After the metal roof deck was in place, crews installed a vapor barrier. Photos The Duerson Corporation.

The roofing installation was pretty straightforward, notes Kirk. There was one area on the lower roof that was an exception, as the new construction blocked access to the drains. “Originally the roof sloped in one direction, but because of the design of the new part of the building, we had to change the slope,” he says. “We had to turn everything around so water would flow in the other direction.”

On this section, the existing roof was torn off and removed, and tapered insulation was used to provide the proper slope. It was installed on a concrete deck over a working section of the hospital, so the installation was a bit tricky. “Rather than starting at the drain, which would be the easiest thing to do, we had to start at the furthest point away,” Kirk notes. “We were adding so much insulation, we didn’t want to create a bathtub, if you will. We had to start at the high point and work our way downhill so when we got to the drain, we’d have the correct elevation.”

Recycling the Old One

Once the third floor was closed in for the winter, it was time to remove the existing roof. “That was the fun part,” Tanner says.

The old roof was removed through a window. “We had an opening that was approximately 5 feet wide and 4 feet

The new roof system covers 27,600 square feet of the new third floor in an area bordered on one side by a long, curved parapet. Photos The Duerson Corporation.

tall,” Tanner recalls. “We took a fork lift with a BOXhaul on it and basically went up to the outside of the window and stuck it in there as far as we could without damaging any of the structure and started removing the material.”

No gas-powered vehicles were allowed to operate in the interior space. The fasteners had to be unscrewed and separated by hand. “When we removed the material, we tried to cut along the seams so we could see the screws and plates,” notes Tanner. “We sorted those out, and in the end we had more than 1,000 pounds of screws and plates we took back to our shop to be recycled.”

The existing membrane was cut up into 5-foot strips. Sections were rolled up and bundled for removal using a portable bander. Once the BOXhaul was full, it was taken to a flatbed trailer. “We completely filled the 20-foot trailer with old material to be recycled,” Tanner says. “In the end, there was 7,200 pounds of Duro-Last membrane that we recycled.”

The membrane was recycled as part of Duro-Last’s Roof Take Back Program. The company recycles the membrane, using it to construct products including walkway pads. “We’re lucky enough to have a Duro-Last plant in our state, and I actually took that load of material to be recycled to Sigourney one day,” Tanner says. “When I got there, they took a fork lift out there and unloaded it for me.”

The expanded polystyrene insulation was also removed and recycled. It was taken to Insulfoam, the original manufacturer. “The insulation necessitated a few more trips because it was so bulky,” Tanner says. “We kept an empty tractor trailer on site. In the end, we filled up three of those with approximately 120,000 board-feet of insulation that we took off of that project.”

The membrane that once covered the existing roof was cut into strips and rolled up for transport to the plant for recycling. Photos The Duerson Corporation.

The Duerson Corporation recycles as much material as it can throughout the year, including scrap metal and PVC membrane, which is stored in Duro-Last approved containers until there is enough to be transported to the plant.

“I thank Katie Chapman at Duro-Last for getting this program up and running and making us aware of it,” says Kirk. “Otherwise, that material would’ve just ended up in a landfill.”

Participating in the membrane recycling program was an eye-opener for everyone at the company. “One thing leads to another,” Kirk says. “We started recycling the roof membrane, and then you realize that there are other things you should think about. What do we do with the insulation? What do we do with the screws and plates? We started looking for ways to recycle everything, and pretty soon a full-blown sustainability program is born. It really does change the way you think once you buy into the system.”

The New Floor of the Hospital

After the general contractor removed the old vapor barrier with a floor scraper, the new third floor section was converted into a brand-new, pristine Obstetrics and Gynecology unit. The difference between the construction site and state-of-the-art hospital wing is striking.

The third floor of the hospital now houses a brand-new Obstetrics and Gynecology unit. Photos The Duerson Corporation.

“What we knew as the concrete roof deck was also designed to serve as the finished floor of the hospital,” Kirk says. “The new O.B. unit is just beautiful. If you look at that you can’t even imagine, unless you’ve been through the whole process, that the area with carpet and tile you’re looking at months ago used to be the roof.”

Safety for the roofing crews is always a priority at The Duerson Corporation, but safety precautions on this project also included ensuring the safety and security of the people in the hospital. “It was critical that we were always aware of the patients underneath us,” Kirk notes. “We had to be very mindful about the positioning of our generators, for example, so the exhaust wouldn’t be sucked into the fresh air intakes.”

Tanner points out that a checklist is prepared for each project to make sure everyone is aware of the client’s needs. This is especially important in health care projects like this one. “If someone goes out to take care of a leak call, for instance, we make sure they know everything they need to know to keep the client happy,” Tanner says. “With a health center, you have to take extra precautions. This can include items like making sure when you’re walking across the open roof that you don’t look into a patient’s room.”

“We’ve learned a great deal from working with Pella Regional Health Center in terms of just how mindful of everything we need to be,” Kirk says. “We recognize each of our clients, even though they all have a roof over their head, they all do something different for a living. In reality, everybody in any trade needs to recognize what your client does and what you need to do to be mindful of that.”

It takes communication to understand clients’ needs and build long-term relationships with customers. “We’ve got clients that we’ve serviced for 26 years,” Kirk says. “We’re all here to serve other people. In our case, it’s in roofing. Whether it’s a hospital or a convenience store, we’re serving them, and it all starts with that relationship.”

When Brice Harris of Harris Craig Architects began designing a new health complex in Tyler, Texas, he knew his client wanted to maintain continuity with the company’s other medical facilities but at the same time update the look. The roof and wall panel systems became the key to meeting both design goals.

The standing seam metal roof and metal wall panel systems are now the signature architectural features of the CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Herrington-Ornelas HealthPark. The new construction project encompasses some 43,000 square feet of space housing an urgent care clinic, medical offices, a physical therapy area and a fitness center.

The Design

Harris Craig primarily focuses on institutional projects, including schools. About a quarter of the firm’s work involves health care facilities. On this project, a merger while it was underway added a few wrinkles in the design process.

Crews from Tyler Roofing installed the metal wall panels, which included PAC-CLAD HWP panels and PAC-CLAD flush panels from Petersen, as well as Longboard Siding in Dark Cherry Wood Grain from Mayne Coatings Corp. Photos Petersen.

“The hospital system is CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances,” Harris notes. “When we began work on the project, it was for Trinity Mother Frances, and they partnered up with another hospital network, so part of the challenge on this job was switching the branding in the middle of the project. Luckily our overall design fit very well. The branding changes were more prominent on the inside of the building and didn’t have much effect on the exterior design.”

The property is strategically located at the intersection of two busy roads, and the highly visible site posed some concerns. “We really didn’t have a back of the building,” Harris explains. “The challenge of the design really was to efficiently present this building well both to the street and to the people who would be approaching it from the opposite side. That actually drove a lot of how the building form turned out, along with our desire to both help modernize the look of the clinic a little bit and to tie it back to some of the existing branding.”

The roof was designed to echo the other structures but uses different materials. “They share the prominent use of the gable on the building, but here we brought it forward into a contemporary design aesthetic,” Harris says.

For this project the design team specified a standing seam metal roof manufactured by Petersen that encompasses approximately 6,000 square feet. Low-slope roof sections over each wing were covered with 60-mil TPO roof system manufactured by GAF.

Wall panels were used to extend the sleek, modern look down to the ground, in contrast to the many brick buildings in the area. “We wanted to lighten up the look a little bit and bring in some new materials as part of the modernization,” Harris says. “We have composite panels, horizontal panels, and wood-look aluminum panels.”

Key concerns included making sure the various systems tied together perfectly. “The transition between the wall and roof is a very important detail for us,” Harris notes. “The most complicated areas for us on this project would be at the front of the building with the big glass windows and composite panels, and areas where the composite panel ties into the TPO roof and the metal panels. That was probably the trickiest part of the design.”

The Installation

Tyler Roofing was a natural fit for the project due to its established relationships with the architect and general contractor, WRL General Contractors, headquartered in Flint, Texas. “We do a lot of work in Tyler, and we’ve worked on a lot of Harris Craig projects,” says Tommy Ray Sukiennik, a 24-year veteran at the company, which was founded by his father and uncle 35 years ago. “We’re one of the competitive contractors in our area.”

Herrington-Ornelas HealthPark is located at a busy intersection and is visible from all sides, so the building was designed to present itself well to every vantage point. Photos Petersen.

The company’s share of metal roof and wall panel work is increasing, notes Sukiennik. “We’ve been doing standing seam roofs for more than 20 years. Lately we’ve been doing a lot of wall panels — Petersen HWP wall panels, flush mounts, things like that. As far as metal goes, we try to be diverse enough that we can install any system that comes out on the plans.”

Tyler Roofing installed the roof systems and wall panels on the project, along with gutters, soffits and trim. Work began with the fully adhered GAF EverGuard TPO roof system, which was installed over the metal deck, 4 inches of polyisocyanurate insulation and a half-inch cover board. The low-slope roofs over the wings house the HVAC units, but details involved were straightforward, notes Sukiennik. “It was all pretty basic,” he says. “At some points we had to tie in the TPO roof, the metal on the parapet wall, and the metal on the exterior wall all together.”

To dry in the gable roof, crews installed 4 inches of polyiso insulation and a self-adhering waterproofing underlayment. They also installed custom-fabricated gutters. “We built a gutter that hangs off the edge of the eave that a starter clip goes on top of, so it’s integrated into the roof,” Sukiennik notes.

The 18-inch-wide, 24-gauge PAC-CLAD Snap-Clad roof panels in Champagne Metallic were delivered to the site. “We order all of the panels to length from Petersen,” Sukiennik says. “One of the plants is here in Tyler, and actually not far from the job, so it was very convenient. All of the rest of the trim, parapets, wall flashings and components we fabricated ourselves in the shop with metal they supplied.”

The roof panels were raised to the roof using a SkyTrak lift with specially built cradles. The wide-open jobsite and the flat roofs on either side of the gable made the roof area easily accessible. “It was just a straight run gable roof. There are no penetrations in the standing seam,” Sukiennik says. “The panels are easy to install. The Snap-Clad panels just pop together.”

The standing seam metal roof and metal wall panels were used to give the complex a modern look, while the prominent gable roof echoes the hospital system’s other facilities. Photos Petersen.

Wall panels were installed using scissor lifts and ladders. “We kept running a laser to make sure everything was horizontal and lined up,” says Sukiennik. “Then we finished it off with the trim and the cap. We tied everything into the expansion joints and trimmed it out so it was as clean as could be.”

The workload on this project was greater than usual, so skillfully managing the crews was important. “Usually we roof a building, and then we have to wait on the other contractors to do the brick and stucco on the exterior, and then we have to come back and trim it out and finish,” Sukiennik explains. “On this project, we did probably 70 percent of the exterior of the building, so we were working on the building continuously while we were doing other projects.”

The good news was that the crews had most of the work under their own control. “There were no issues of expecting someone else to make sure things were done the way we wanted them done. We tied everything in ourselves.”

Work was completed in the summer, so the heat was an issue. “When we put the wall panels on during July and August, it was pretty hot, so we had to work on one side of the building in the morning and then switch sides in the afternoon,” Sukiennik says, noting that his company is used to coping with extreme conditions. “In East Texas, we can have every type of weather there is within three days almost.”

Team Effort

Sukiennik credits WRL General Contractors for the well-coordinated jobsite. “We work on a lot of projects with the same contractors, so we all watch out for each other,” he says. “We do a good job of staying on top of things. We do a lot of work here, and this our family town, so we take pride in our work. We do the best we can.”

Comprehensive details and pre-production meetings ensured the installation was uneventful, according to Sukiennik. “The architect does a good job of making sure everything blends,” he says. “We usually don’t have issues with details and things like that. They try to make it as smooth as could be.”

During construction, members of the design and installation teams stayed in touch to make sure everything went according to plan. “This project was only about a mile from our office, so it was convenient to stop by, and it was a project we were really excited about,” Harris recalls. “We meet frequently with our installers to discuss details. We like to learn what works and what doesn’t work from the crews in the field. We want to listen to the wisdom of the guys who are out there actually doing the work.”

It’s all part of making sure the building owner is satisfied. “What we were excited about for this project was the opportunity to define a new look for CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances to help them match the quality of their facilities with the quality of care in Tyler and the region,” Harris says. “We see one of our strengths as building long-term relationships with our clients to give us the opportunity and trust to do that.”

The rooftop on the Belfer Medical Research Building not only houses HVAC equipment but serves as a rainwater detention system. The reinforced membrane waterproofing system by Kemper System was applied to the roof deck before the pavers were put in place on a pedestal system.

The Belfer Medical Research Building on the campus of New York’s Weill Cornell Medical College was designed to be a 19-story model of eco-social construction. Designed by Todd Schliemann of Ennead Architects, the building showcases a number of sustainability features, including a storm water detention system on the roof.

Built for a cost of more than $630 million, the tower includes 13 stories of research laboratories. The tower has three roof levels at the 17th, 18th and 19th floors. The rainwater detention system, known as a “blue roof,” not only helps regulate storm water discharge, but it feeds a water fountain and irrigates planters on the second-floor terrace.

In general, rainwater detention systems can either collect water in holding tanks and then meter it to the public sewer system, or retain it on a waterproofed roof expanse. The blue roof on the Belfer Research Building uses the latter strategy. It complies with New York City requirements and can hold up to 3 inches of water.

Roof Materials

Proper waterproofing on the project is essential. The solvent-free and odor-free KEMPEROL 2K-PUR cold, liquid-applied membrane system was used for waterproofing the blue roof. It was also used on the terrace and fountains on the lower level. The reinforced membrane system is designed for long service life and backed by an extended-wear warranty.

Eagle One Roofing Contractors Inc. of Astoria, N.Y., a certified applicator of the Kemper System, applied the waterproofing system. The two-part resin system is designed to fully adhere to the substrate, and is fully reinforced with fleece. The resulting membrane is completely seamless and unaffected by ponding water and ice. According to the manufacturer, it resists exposure to UV light, chemicals, oils and solvents. It is impervious to bio-deterioration and is both root- and rot-resistant, so it is also ideal for green roofs and landscaped areas.

Roof Report

The supporting structure below the roof was designed to carry the water load, with an allowance for heavy snow or ice buildup. The roof deck is concrete slab and includes a layer of rigid insulation below the waterproofing membrane for added energy efficiency. The gravity-fed drainage system was carefully sized to control the speed of drainage without the use of pumps, sometimes required for rainwater detention systems that use holding tanks. On the roof sections, the waterproofing sections were topped with concrete pavers on a pedestal system.

Construction at the Weill Cornell Medical College, both interior renovations and new construction, is designed to meet a minimum LEED Silver status. This project was designed to achieve Gold certification, the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings.

This illustration shows the assembly used for the blue roof on this project. The cold, liquid-applied reinforced membrane system was topped by concrete pavers. Image: Kemper System America Inc.

On the south side of the building, Ennead created a double-skinned, fritted glass curtain wall with openings and sun-shading devices that absorb the sun’s heat before it gets trapped inside, which would require the HVAC system to pump out more cold air. Continuous ribbon windows flood the building with natural light, and energy-efficient HVAC, lighting controls and water-conservation systems save on power and resources. The building’s green infrastructure is expected to shrink Weill Cornell’s energy bill for it by about 30 percent and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 26 percent compared to a building complying with the minimum requirements set by typical industry guidelines and standards.

The building includes a high-tech, multi-zoned HVAC control system to manage the indoor environment within different spaces. Biomedical laboratories, for example, generally require special air filtration systems supported by high-volume air circulation. Each of the laboratory levels includes four fume vents to the outside, except for the chemistry laboratory on the top floor, which uses 40 vents. In addition to thermostats and humidity sensors, indoor spaces utilize occupancy sensors to assist in regulating the ambient indoor environment and lighting to improve energy efficiency.

An insulated metal panel system from All Weather Insulated Panels was chosen for the project because of its durability, energy efficiency and ease of installation.

Under pressure from the federal government, the state of California had to build a new health care facility for its prison inmates—and do it fast. The logistics were daunting.

Planning for the 144-acre construction site that became the California Health Care Facility inmate hospital in Stockton, Calif., had to account for 1,700 personnel on the site at any one time. Physically, it was an imposing project: 23 buildings adding up to 1.2 million square feet, with 792,000 square feet of roofing.

Since there was very little space to store roofing material on site, it became clear in the planning stages that production had to be paced with installation, and a choreographed dance of trucks, forklifts, and installation crews had to be executed well in extremely compact areas.

The team realized using IMPs could save in both onsite manpower and installation time. “This being the largest project Roland has ever completed, as well as the demand for over 50 of our workers on site, plus personnel from other companies, the challenges were formidable,” said Jim Hoagland, the owner of Roland Construction.

Roof Materials

Representatives of Roland and the general contractor firm of Clark/McCarthy worked with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) prior to the bid date to make sure that the IMP roof system would be acceptable to the state. Not only was it deemed acceptable, the state considered IMPs an upgraded component in the final design-build package submitted for consideration. The specification was amended to include insulated metal panels for the architectural roofing before sub-contractors submitted bids.

After the bids were opened, Roland Construction and AWIP earned the opportunity. In January 2012, work began immediately on the design of the 23 buildings. AWIP’s 4-inch thick SR-2 standing seam insulated roof panel with a 22-gage outer skin coated in Natural Green Kynar paint became the choice. The excellent insulating properties of the sandwich-style panel with an R-value equal to 32 in the darker color complied with the project’s LEED Silver Certification.

Roof Report

In May 2012, three five-man crews began work on adding the insulated metal panels to the roof. It soon became apparent that each crew could install panels quickly, safely and efficiently.

Over the course of six months, each crew using a small crane could install up to 7,650 square feet of roofing, meaning 15 workers added a total of nearly 23,000 square feet of roofing per day. Following behind the roof paneling crews were several other crews installing AWIP 2-and-half-inch DM40 wall panels, flashings, and trim to encapsulate the 192 fixtures that allowed natural light into the buildings.

The California Health Care Facility in Stockton is comprised of 23 buildings on 144 acres. A total of 792,000 square feet of roofing was installed on the project.

The use of a vacuum lifter provided by Automatic Panel Lifting System (APLS) of Auburn, Calif., proved essential in the installation of the panels. The APLS lifters are designed to be hung from a crane or forklift. With the proper attachment setup, they are capable of raising panels up to 60 feet long weighing approximately 600 pounds each.

With the panels being able to be lifted and released in a matter of seconds, production was increased dramatically to meet the project’s breakneck schedule.

With a total cost of $906 million, the project was California’s largest public works project in 2012. Hoagland points out that the reduction in installation man-hours not only saved schedule time, but more than made up for the additional material cost over a more traditional built-up insulation and metal roof system.

“With all the pre-planning with our supplier, AWIP, and their going the extra mile for us, we could not have accomplished this project in such an efficient and timely manner,” notes Hoagland. “The use of AWIP’s insulated metal roof panels for this project proved to be the decision that made this job feasible.”

AWIP Ready for 2020 Regulations in 2017

By 2020, as regulated by the California (CPUC) Public Utilities Commission, all new residential construction in California will have to meet Zero Net Energy (ZNE) requirements. In essence, the regulation stipulates that the amount of energy a residential building takes off the power grid must be balanced by energy the residence generates and returns to the grid.

Lowery believes that insulated metal panels (IMPs)—the “sandwich-style” roofing component consisting of closed-cell foam composite encased by two pieces of galvanized steel—can propel the North American construction industry into a new era.

“Insulated metal panels are better, faster and cheaper, and we’re at the forefront of changing construction in the United States,” says Lowery.

As an example, AWIP’s SR2 roof panel has a trapezoidal design that increases the panel’s overall rigidity, making it safe for longer spans and foot traffic despite using a lighter-than-usual 26-gauge steel, which reduces overall weight.

Furthermore, according to Lowery, insulated metal panels require far less specialized equipment to install than traditional building materials and, due to their self-aligning, tongue-in-groove joinery, they are a snap to fit together. Once assembled, they provide insulating values above R-50, securing the building’s thermal envelope.

William Lowery, the president of All Weather Insulated Metal Panels, believes insulated metal panel systems can help California homeowners meet strict upcoming residential building regulations.

“The SR2, to name one, not only meets the new CPUC energy needs, its means a savings in needing fewer solar panels,” says Kim Harrell, vice president of sales for AWIP. “Roof panels reduce the cost of materials and construction time. They will play comply with the CPUC’s aspirations for California and have significant role in helping new and existing construction projects all over the country.”

At the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center in Charleston, a modular green roof system was installed to improve the quality of life for patients in the extended care wing.

Michael Whitfield was fascinated by the concept of green roofs, but he didn’t encounter many of them near his home in Charleston, S.C. He knew green roofs benefitted the environment, extended the life of roof systems and were aesthetically pleasing, so he was sure he could tap into the market in the Southeast as a green roof installer. When he couldn’t find a modular green roof system he liked, he designed his own. Whitfield is now the president and CEO of Green Roof Outfitters. Founded in 2009, the company manufactures components for green roofs installed all over the country. The company also installs green roofs itself, as was the case with a nearby hospital project.

After reading research studies that showed hospital patients recovered more quickly and needed less pain medication when they had a natural setting to look out on, Whitfield was inspired. He checked with local hospitals to see if there were areas that would be good candidates for green roofs. When the PR person at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center expressed an interest, Whitfield passed along the research material.

Months later he got a call asking him to submit a bid. While the hospital’s budget did not allow for a green roof to be installed on the entire building, there was a section of the roof that could be worked on right away. It was a 3,000-square-foot area on a wing for extended care patients, who looked out on a white TPO roof. “We put a green roof on that whole strip outside their windows so the patients would have something nice to look at,” Whitfield says.

Roof Materials

Construction took place on a weekend, when traffic would be lighter. A crane was used to load the material on the roof, including 4-inch-deep trays for the extensive modular green roof system and 2-inch-thick rubber pavers to go around the perimeter. Plants in the pre-grown mats included different varieties of sedum. Chives, prickly-pear cactus and other perennials were added later.

Green Roof Outfitters partners with growers around the country to provide pre-grown mats. Different varieties of plants are used in different parts of the country, but in most markets the company has had success with a blend using approximately 14 different varieties of sedum.

Whitfield believes the proper combination of plants is essential. “Two buildings that are right next to each other could have different microclimates, so you don’t know exactly what is going to work perfectly there and what is not,” he says. “We mix these plants with a variety—some do better in shade, some do better in sun. With the different tolerances they have, the strongest will survive, so we will always have something there. Many people make the mistake of planting one species they like with a certain pattern or color. But if you plant one species—a monoculture—and it doesn’t like it there, you’ll have a totally dead roof.”

Roof Report

The system does not require slip sheets for installation, but some roof manufacturers require them to maintain the warranty on the existing roof. In this project, a layer of 40-mil EPDM was placed on top the existing TPO roof. “We laid the modules on top of that,” says Whitfield. “We have rubber paver walk pads, which have feet on the bottom for drainage. We put those around the outside so we could have a nice-looking barrier and a walking area for the maintenance guys.”

Michael Whitfield was on hand to oversee the project at the VA medical center.

“Many people don’t know this, but a green roof can help the roof last 200 percent to 400 percent longer by preventing UV degradation,” Whitfield says. “It shades the roof and protects it. During the day, exposed roofs get superheated in the sun, and cool at night, so they are constantly expanding and contracting. A green roof system keeps it at a constant temperature.”

Another benefit can come from creating functional space on the roof. “We wholesale a lot of systems that combine a green roof with pavers to add usable space,” he says, “We can supply ipe wood pavers or other pavers in different configurations on our pedestal system to make walkways and patios.”

Depending on the environment, an irrigations system is a common option. “Green roof are a low-maintenance systems, not a no-maintenance systems,” notes Whitfield. “We incorporated irrigation channels into the new design of our modules, so you can put in irrigation during the installation or after it is completed.”

Another change is a smaller module. “Our modules used to be 2-feet-by-2-feet, but they were really heavy for the roofers,” he explains. “Our new modules are half the size—one-by-two—so they are much easier to handle and put in place.”

As they become more comfortable with green roof systems, roofing contractors are finding out they can be a valuable add-on with roofing projects. “Once roofers are on the site with all of the equipment and labor, why not make double the money by installing roofing and a green roof?”

No special training is needed to install this tray system. “It’s easy to install,” Whitfield notes. “The modules come fully vegetated, 40 to a pallet. You just pick one up, put it down, and repeat. It’s like laying down dominoes, honestly.”

The modular system is also easy to move if roof maintenance is necessary. “Our system is so flexible,” he says. “If you need roof maintenance, you can just pick up a couple of trays, move them and move them back. This is such an easy, modern way to do it—and it’s very affordable.”

A composite slate roof was chosen to help the facility fit in with the surrounding area.

Jack Lucks has an “architectural eye.” His dedication to creating attention-grabbing projects has served him well during the past 43 years as he makes design and product decisions related to a variety of projects with different architectural styles.

In recent years Lucks and his group, Continental Real Estate Companies, have focused on the creation of senior/assisted living facilities. A recently opened facility in Granville, Ohio, has been well received, and Lucks, a founding partner with the group, credits the distinctive look of the building’s composite slate roof as a key to its curb appeal.

Roof Materials

The design goals included integrating the building with the surrounding area. “Granville is an older town, founded in the early 1800s,” Lucks notes. “There are lots of slate roofs in town that complement the Greek Revival style of this area. Having a composite slate roof on our facility that so perfectly replicates real slate was a smart decision.”

A composite slate roof from DaVinci Roofscapes was chosen for the project. “The black Bellaforté Slate roof has the aesthetic look we wanted without the weight of real slate,” says Lucks.

Lucks points out that the Middleton project is a single-story building with a roof that’s highly visible from the street. “When you look at this building, half of what you see is the roof,” he says. “That made the roofing decision especially important for us.”

According to Lucks he has been “enormously pleased” with the authentic look of the composite slate roof. “It’s not an exaggeration to say that the DaVinci roof has helped us gain tenants,” he says. “People look at the structure, see the brick and ‘slate’ exterior. It makes them take that crucial step to walk in our door.”

With 94 rooms, Middleton offers six levels of support for residents at the 92,000-square-foot structure. The facility provides restaurant-style dining, daily activities, an on-site theatre and nature paths, as well as laundry and housekeeping services, 24-hour licensed nurses and a beauty salon. “America’s population is aging,” says Lucks. “Our facilities help Americans age gracefully in beautiful settings that cater to their changing needs.”

The medical center is pleased with the decision to use FiberTite to protect their facility and trusts the roof system will be durable and reliable for many years to come.

Maintaining the building envelope is essential to the success of a facility with critical interior space. This is especially true with hospitals and medical centers, where facility managers need to be on top of the building envelope integrity so patients and valuable assets are protected.

When the staff at an acute care medical facility in Florida realized the building’s existing roof was reaching the end of its service life, they knew they had to take action right away. The medical center offers a 24-hour emergency department, surgical services and various other outpatient services, and avoiding interruptions caused by roof leaks was critical. Hospital officials sought out a roofing consultant to offer a recommendation for the best roofing system to protect the facility.

McEnany Roofing, located in Tampa, Fla., has been providing commercial and industrial roofing solutions for more than 27 years. “We worked on the medical facility’s behalf to recommend a roofing system for this environment,” says Mark Sloat, vice president and senior estimator at McEnany Roofing. “We used the services of an engineer to conduct an uplift test to help us determine the best roof to suit their needs.”

Roof Materials

After all the testing and research was complete, McEnany Roofing concluded that a FiberTite Roofing System was the best choice. The proven performance advantages in puncture resistance, durability, wind uplift and severe weather protection supported McEnany Roofing’s recommendation and after careful review of the data, the medical facility agreed. In 2016, McEnany Roofing installed more than 130,000 square feet of Elvaloy KEE membrane on the main hospital and two adjacent medical buildings.

Roof Report

The sensitive environment of the hospital setting also had to be taken into account. The water-based adhesive used to adhere the 45-mil FiberTite Fleeceback membrane on the upper roof of the main hospital helped mitigate odor. Other areas of the hospital had 45-mil FiberTite-SM installed using the mechanically attached securement. Both processes minimized disruption and allowed the medical center to maintain strict standards of patient care during installation. The medical center is pleased with the decision to use FiberTite to protect their facility and trusts the roof system will be durable and reliable for many years to come.

The new Stanford Hospital is currently under construction in Palo Alto, Calif. The 824,000-square-foot facility connects to the existing hospital by a bridge and tunnel. The project includes a multi-level parking garage and with additional office buildings. Photo: Stanford Health Center.

Dennis Olson is used to dealing with large health care projects with multiple scopes of work, but the new Stanford Hospital project he’s currently working on might be the most challenging job he’s ever faced.

“I’ve never been involved with a project that’s been this complex and this difficult to roof and manage,” says Olson, the owner of Letner Roofing in Orange, Calif. “There are 16 different types of roofing and waterproofing systems, and each one is a little bit different at each location around the building.”

Located in Palo Alto, Calif., the new Stanford Hospital is an 824,000-square-foot facility that connects to the existing hospital by a bridge and tunnel. Olson is convinced his company is perfect for the job. He has been in the roofing industry for almost four decades, and he’s worked at Letner for more than 30 years. Olson worked his way up through the company as a foreman, project manager, and estimator before becoming the president and owner 15 years ago. “I have been estimating and managing health care projects for more than 25 years,” he says. “This job is right up our alley.”

The Company

Located in Orange, Calif., Letner Roofing specializes in commercial work including all types of roofing and below-grade waterproofing systems. “We are licensed with all of the major manufacturers to install their products,” Olson says. “We install basically every roofing and waterproofing system that’s available to the market. We have a sheet metal division that produces metal wall panels, roofing and general sheet metal.”

The new hospital features green roofs on the main hospital, central plant and parking structure. The garden roof section on level three of the main hospital building is shown here. Photo: Stanford Health Center.

Olson believes the company’s success begins with its great alliances with top general contractors and owners. “Our strengths are our customer service and quality control, and our ability to get projects done efficiently and on time,” he says. “I think that’s why general contractors choose us. We do what we say we’re going to do, we do it efficiently, and we take a lot of pride in the finished product.”

Communication is the key, according to Olson. “We have weekly sales meetings where all of the project managers and sales staff get together,” Olson says. “We share information, which allows us to learn from our failures and successes. It’s a team atmosphere. There is no real competition between the sales guys other than the innate competition that you each have to be better. We don’t compete against each other; we all work together for the common goal.”

Keeping the lines of communication open with industry partners is a key part of the puzzle. “As far as communication with the general contractor, that’s pretty simple, but a lot of people miss that,” he says. “You have to return phone calls. You have to return emails. If you have an issue on a project, handle the issue efficiently. Bring scheduling problems or details issues to the attention of the general contractor early. Nobody like to be surprised. People like to be informed.”

Due to their expertise in design-build situations, members of the Letner team are often called in by general contractors at the design and budgeting stage to offer advice on the right materials and methods for a project.

That was the case with the new Stanford Hospital project and general contractor Clark/McCarthy—a joint venture of Clark Construction Co. and McCarthy Building Cos. “McCarthy is a contractor I’ve been dealing with for more than 25 years. I’ve done a lot of health care projects with them, so when Stanford came out, they certainly wanted our input and help developing the budgets,” notes Olson.

Underground, Overhead

For Letner, the project involved several scopes of work including roofing on the main hospital and below-grade and underslab waterproofing.

Below-grade work included a pre-applied blind-side waterproofing application by Cetco. Letner also waterproofed underground tanks for domestic water, fire suppression, and sewage with a hot rubber system by Gaco Western. “The hospital was built for the worst-case scenario,” Olson notes. “If there is a big earthquake, and services are interrupted, the hospital can sustain itself for a while.”

This aerial photo shows the new Stanford Hospital, which is currently under construction. When completed in 2018, the complex will showcase 16 different roofing systems on 12 different elevations. Photo: Stanford Health Center.

As the superstructure was being completed, the roofing work began. “As I said, there are 16 different roofing systems on this project. There are 12 different elevations,” notes Olson.

Systems range from urethane and urethane and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) coatings to split-slab and inverted hot rubber systems, PVC roof systems and hybrid dual waterproofing system. The largest roofing systems include a Sarnafil PVC roof on the main hospital and a hot rubber system by Cetco for use under the garden roofs. Letner is installing garden roofs on the third floor of the main hospital and another on the central plant building.

Both of these garden roofs were constructed over flat concrete decks. The first step was to provide positive slope for drainage. Cell-Crete Corporation of Hayward, Calif., provided lightweight insulating concrete (LWIC), which was used to create positive slope. After the LWIC cured, crews from Cell-Crete installed quarter-inch cement board over the LWIC.

The hospital’s surgery rooms are directly beneath the garden roof on the main hospital, so the system has to be bulletproof. “This roof area requires intricate detailing along with a Cetco hybrid dual waterproofing system,” Olson states. “After the lightweight concrete and cover board are in place, Letner will install 60 mils of Hydrofix urethane membrane, followed by Cetco Corflex, a unique combination of a re-enforced KEE membrane bonded to an active polymer core membrane. Both garden roof areas will be protected with an in-place leak detection system by Internal Leak Detection.”

The overburden at the hospital garden roofs will include insulation, drainage mats, various types of plants and trees and pedestal paver systems.

Letner installed PVC roof systems from Sika Sarnafil level three of the hospital and on the main roof of the hospital. The 60-mil PVC membrane was installed over insulation and DensDeck cover board. Insulation was a minimum of R-20 near the drains. Some sections of the PVC were topped by ballast rock.

On the adjoining multi-level parking deck, Letner installed PVC roofs on two office buildings. The rest of the roofing and waterproofing work on the parking structure, including another garden roof, was completed by Courtney Waterproofing and Roofing of Irvine, Calif.

Safety Precautions

Letner and the general contractor help ensure safety is always top of mind at the site. “On this project, like any other, the safety issues were extremely important,” notes Olson. “We have our crews stretch and flex daily, and everyone must wear the personal protective equipment required for each task. Fall protection is a concern at every elevation, and hot rubber is extremely hazardous activity that requires additional protection and monitoring.”

Elastizell lightweight insulating concrete from Cell-Crete was used to provide slope for drainage on the flat structural concrete decks. It was later topped with cement board. Photo: Cell-Crete

The perimeter walls were being constructed during the project, so extra precautions had to be taken at the roof edge. “We had to wear harnesses and be tied off at all times,” Olson says. “We are very concerned about safety. We have a safety manager, and he does a very good job of identifying possible hazards on each job. We identify those per deck and apply the proper safety measures required for each elevation.”

Waterproofing the tanks also required special care. “The domestic water, waste and fire tanks and are in the ground, so you have to have people certified to do that work with specialized equipment,” Olson states.

Challenging Schedule

Construction of the hospital is still underway. Work is expected to be completed in 2018. The sheer size and multiple scopes of work were obvious challenges on the project, but the schedule was also tight—and subject to change. Some roof details were changed and others were developed as the job progressed, so Letner’s crews had to make some adjustments on the fly. Letner continues to work with the consultant on the project, ABB, to iron out the details.

“Sometimes you have to adjust the schedule when you are coordinating the work with other trades,” Olson notes. “The schedule, coordinating with other trades and the number of changes on the job have been the biggest issues we’ve faced. It’s is still a challenge, as the work is ongoing.”

When it came time to stage equipment and materials, the large job site suddenly seemed small. “The site was kind of tight, so of course logistics came into play with loading and off-loading each different area,” he says. “Some areas were hard to get to, and sometimes we had to wheel the product through corridors to get to the decks. Not everything was easy to get to. Logistics were difficult, but we were able to overcome those problems. Clark/McCarthy helped out quite a bit with logistics and loading.”

Despite the complexity of the job, the installation work has gone smoothly, according to Olson. “As far as the application for our field crews, there’s not that much difficulty for them. They are all very talented at what they do,” he says. “It’s just a very difficult building, and there are a lot of details that are not typical.”

The key to overcoming difficulties? “It’s constant communication,” Olson says. “Our strengths are our management teams, from the field operations to office staff. We’re honest with our customers. They understand the level of customer service and quality we deliver. Our success is a testament to the service we provide to our customers. We are often praised for our service and workmanship, and we are very proud of our quality installations as well.”

On the adjoining multi-level parking deck, Letner Roofing installed PVC roofs on two office buildings. The rest of the roofing and waterproofing work on the parking structure, including another garden roof, was completed by Courtney Waterproofing and Roofing. Photo: Stanford Health Center.

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January/February 2019

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About Roofing

Roofing is a national publication that unravels, investigates and analyzes how to properly design, install and maintain a roof system. Through the voices of professionals in the field, Roofing’s editorial provides a unique perspective.